Switching Printer's Ink for E-Ink Won't be Easy - Page 2

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The e-reader is proving successful, said analysts, as it is as close to replicating a book-based reading experience.

But even Amazon's Bezos, during a recent Charlie Rose appearance, noted that e-tailer hasn’t yet tapped what it believes is its biggest potential user base -- the true book lover.

Enderle said the same challenge faces newspapers and their readership. "We are creatures of habit and the trick will be getting users to do something different. Publishers have to do something aggressive to make that happen," he said.

A technical hurdle is that replicating newspaper formats may not be as easy as replicating the book experience. Newspapers, by nature, are heavy on visuals and color. Color technology isn't yet possible with E-Ink.

"Today's e-book devices are not especially well-suited to consumer magazines since they feature relatively small, grayscale screens," Ross Rubin, a NPD analyst, told InternetNews.com.

While Hearst's device will reportedly boast a bigger screen than the Kindle, Rubin envisions needing even a much bigger display for magazine format and design needs.

"It is also an open question as to whether consumers would prefer a digital version of a magazine with the layout intact, or simply a Web version of that publication that is more optimized for digital reading," he said.

And while one publisher's e-reader could help its own business effort, neither analyst believes Hearst, or any other big publisher, has the expertise to push e-readers out into the industry as a device player.

"And it's untenable for every major magazine publisher to offer his or her own e-reader," noted Rubin.

The effort, said Enderle, will require a technology player with the production and channel resources that individual publishers just don't have.

One potential vendor could be HP, as it already has deep roots within the traditional publishing venue. According to Enderle, HP has an e-reader device in prototype. HP did not return press inquiries by press time.

"They have the production scale to step into this opportunity," said Enderle.